


Praying For The Ineviatable

by Nihonkikuasa211



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Major Character Injury, Tag to 2x02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-21 19:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8257508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nihonkikuasa211/pseuds/Nihonkikuasa211
Summary: Malaya worries for her friend.





	

_Praying For The Inevitable_

 

For over a week Angus Leighton had stayed by his brother’s side. Whenever he wasn’t on shift, either in the very early hours or very late at night, the second-year resident was sitting in an uncomfortable chair, waiting for the inevitable.

Malaya shook her head, the logical mind that kept her sane through medical school, losing Carla…and Gordon snapping whatever hopeful thoughts she had of the patient – Mike Leighton – lying unresponsive in the bed. The dark-haired young woman thought about the hours after the residency director had fallen over twenty feet from the helicopter. A special area had been provided for the pa – for Mike, and Angus was almost always by his brother’s side. Even when working in the ER, there was something off about the way Angus worked. The new residents didn’t know him that well, didn’t know anyone in the ER, and so perhaps that was why they didn’t say a word when they left on their shift and saw Angus sitting by his brother’s bedside. The energy and life in Angus’ eyes appeared, withering away the empty globes of increasing anxiety when he told both Malaya and Mario that his older brother’s hand moved. Malaya had swallowed the information that she knew that Angus knew about coma patients, and told him that it was good.

Perhaps Mario was right. He had told Angus…the other probable scenario. Many times a patient in either a medically-induced coma, like Mike, or traditional comas, had involuntary physical movement. Malaya understood now that Mario’s heart was in the right place. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he didn’t want to say those words. It seemed almost a million years ago when she was telling him that he couldn’t spend three years at Angels without making friends. Malaya remembered his response. _“It’s not high school.”_ Mario had changed so much than when he had first came to Angels. She had no doubt that Mario was telling the other truth to Angus, even though their friend would not like to hear what he had to say. Although her heart bled for her friend, Malaya had lied to him. Or perhaps she was lying to herself. There seemed to be no clear line between knowing what was a lie for Angus, and the lie the dark-haired resident told herself. Mike had been their teacher during the six months after his arrival. It was different knowing the information as a doctor and as a person with no medical knowledge.

There was certain information that Malaya knew her patients that she didn’t know. The three residents had all experienced this, especially in regards to the severity of a condition. _I wish you were here, Christa._ Malaya thought as she remembered hugging the blond resident tight after she accepted an offer to continue her residency in another hospital. _You would know what to say…and you would know what to do._ Malaya could easily imagine their friend talking carefully to Angus, eventually persuading him to rest and have something to eat. There would be the warm onion soup with cheese that Christa had once made for her son – one of the only passing comments she made to Malaya about the little boy she lost – with bread fresh from the oven with cloves of garlic and butter. The young woman continued to stand by the wall as she remembered her friend, knowing that she should update Christa and Neal about Mike’s condition. The two lovebirds were together again, and Malaya was happy for them. The attending surgeon and the resident had both wanted to visit Mike hours after the elder Leighton had fallen, but Malaya had told them both to not come until there was any change.

More than a week later, and there was no change. Malaya swallowed a lump in her throat, remembering two other times when she had been this stressed. It was when Carla was fighting treatment for cancer that would eventually kill her, and after she had been assaulted by Gordon. Angus had consoled her and helped her, making her smile at times and allowing a shoulder for her to cry on. She would never forget when Angus came into her hospital room with her face swollen and a stab wound across her stomach, carrying her favorite fast food. He told her that it was over as her head lied across his shoulder that Gordon was dead. Something had happened to Angus then. Malaya didn’t know what it was. Perhaps she would have understood that the burden that Angus seemed to be carrying, and the distant look in his eyes with the growing stubble if she wasn’t fighting the nightmares and trauma. Then, it seemed that he was fine. Or better, smiling more often and tired as the rest of them. He and Mario had grown closer during those months, and Malaya was never happier to see Mario and Angus getting along.

Malaya couldn’t do anything for Angus. She had been assaulted and hurt, with physical wounds. She had stated words to her friend that she didn’t know were true, and it pained her that she could only watch her friend’s pain.

_Wake up, Mike. If not for me, do it for your brother._

She swallowed the budding emotion - worry and the beginnings of despair - down her throat as she continued to see Angus' pained state.

_He needs you._


End file.
